Page 44 of Marx

“Fucks sake you two! Don’t you have anything better to do?” I growl, speeding up a little more.

“Not really,” Pops and Mad Dog reply in god damn unison.

“Shouldn’t you be off checking up on everyone or helping with breakfast or something?”

“Listen son, there’s nothing more important to me than your happiness,” Mad Dog says, flicking me sincere glances while trying not to crash into anything.

Flicking my eyes to Pops, he shrugs. “I’m not too interested in your happiness, but I am interested in Lovely’s. For some reason, I think her happiness lies with you, so I need to make sure you’re doing all the shit you’re meant to be doing.”

“Well, she’s talking to me, and she asked me to sleep over.”

“You’ve been sleeping there for days, kid. That ain’t a big breakthrough.” Pops rolls his eyes.

I let out a huff. “In herbed. With her and Bee. Last night was a big night for her. As furious as she was, it’s not her natural setting to wish ill on people.” The old men remain silent in their agreement, but I know they think I’m right.

Pops’ mouth works as he chews on his lip. “And she said that? She asked you to stay and just…sleep?”

I nod, whilst keeping pace. It feels fucking good to get my blood pumping in a way that isn’t jacking off in the shower.

Mad Dog lets out a low whistle, leaning forward in his seat to look across me at Pops, who nods back at him.

“What?”

“Do you know how big that is? Her letting you lie next to her?” Pops asks quietly.

Slowing to a stop I rest my hands on my knees, catching my breath a little. I look around at where I am on the property and find I’m standing not far from Pops’ office. We really need to call it the Rev Room II because the office just isn’t as catchy.

Pops and my father circle their ATV’s around until they’re parked right in front of me.

“Did you know when Lovely first arrived she had nightmares?”

“What? She was at the clubhouse when she first arrived, for months. I don’t ever recall hearing anything about nightmares.” I run a hand down my beard, trying to think back to that time. I definitely would remember that.

“You were probably busy worrying about running away from that tiny little lady,” Pops snorts. “Besides, you wouldn’t have noticed because Blanche spent most nights sleeping on the floor next to her. Lovely couldn’t even have her sister in the bed next to her.” I stare at Pops in shock. He lets out a sigh. “Do you know, kid, that one of the most intimate things you can do with another human, is to let yourself relax and just sleep? Think about the amount of trust someone needs to have to be able to do that. Now think of where Lovely came from. How she could never trust that her husband or the council wouldn’t do something fucking evil to her when she least expected it.”

Thinking back to Lovely’s face, her expression was peaceful, her plump lips relaxed in sleep, dead to the world. She trusted me with not only her heart last night, but also with the one person who means everything to her.

“Ah, now he’s getting it,” Mad Dog smiles.

“She trusts you enough to sleep next to you. You’re doing alright, kid, but you could always do better.”

I swallow the lump in my throat. “What do you suggest?”

“How the fuck should I know? She’s your woman. Think about shit she’s been deprived of, and then give it to her.” Pops revs the ATV and takes off toward his office, probably to check on Joseph or the massive fucking incinerator he showed us last night as he and Chewy calmly threw in body parts.

Think of something Lovely missed out on. Fucking easy for Pops to say, that woman missed out on a whole bunch of shit. I start the trek to the farmhouse, wondering what Lovely hasalways wanted to do and never got the chance to. I think back to when my men met their women. Rhodie came to me in my office to ask where he should take Chewy on a date. That’s fucking it! Lovely would have never been on a date before, maybe I could organise a date night for us? Feeling buoyed by my idea I realize that I’ll never be able to get her off the farm and on a date with the fucking cartels hanging over our heads. According to Roman’s intel, they’ll be making drop offs of their product in four days. That gives me today and tomorrow to plan, and then split my club and send my men out. It doesn’t really sit well with me, but it’s the best plan we’ve got.

I wave to Nitro and Fox sitting outside their trailer, Fox’s eyes closed as he basks in the morning sun.

“How you feeling, brother?”

Fox cracks an eyelid. “A fuck ton better than the guys you had in the barn last night,” he smirks.

“Heard about that, huh?”

“Fucking heard it in surround sound when Judge and Sniper walked through the door. If I were you I’d get the Girl Gang to have a word with the new woman, she was on the fucking war path this morning.”

Shit. I’m going to have to get Judge to rein her in. Or maybe I’ll ask Debs to chat to her. If I send the whole Girl Gang the fucking thing could go sideways before we know it.

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